Apparatus for the continuous cooling or drying of gas



Dec. 16, 1952 G. E. LARSON 2,621,899

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS COOLING OR DRYING OF GAS Filed May 25, 1950 I30 ll INVENTOR GOSTA ERIK- LARSON mmwmlmv A1 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 16,1952

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS COOLING OR DRYING OF GAS Giista Erik Larson, Enkoping, Sweden Application May 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,113 In Sweden June 16, 1947 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous cooling or drying of gas, for instance air, and has for its primary object to provide a simplified and dependable apparatus which comprises two equal intermittently operating cooling or drying elements each mounted in a casing, two reversible fans each co-operating with one of the cooling or drying elements, each of said fans preferably being fitted in a casing, and two pairs of valve means operable by said fans, one pair of said valve means being mounted in front of and the other pair behind the two fans, as viewed in the direction in which the gas current to be treated flows into the apparatus, said valve means being adapted alternatively to connect the two casings surrounding the elements with the gas current to be treated in such a way, that the gas which is to be cooled or dried respectively is caused by the fan to flow through one of the valve means fitted in front of the two fans, through one of the casings and said fan, and through the corresponding cooling or drying element, and through one of the valve means fitted behind the two fans to the point where the cooled or dried gas, as the case may be, is to be used, While another gas, for instance air, which may be heated, for instance by means of an electric heating element common to both the cooling or drying elements, by means of the other fan is caused to flow, preferably in a completely or partly closed circuit in the opposite direction to the current of gas which is to be treated, flows into the apparatus, said other gas flowing through the other casing, the other cooling or drying element and the other fan and through the other two valve means in order to melt the ice which may have formed on the last mentioned cooling element or, as the case may be, to dehydrate the last mentioned drying element.

Each valve means preferably consists of at least two flap valves which are operated by the suction or pressure action respectively of the fans.

The invention will hereinafter be further explained in connection with the embodiment for continuous cooling of air illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing which is a longitudinal sectional view of a gas drying apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

The device comprises two equal cooling elements 3, 4, each mounted in a casing I and 2 respectively. In each casing a reversible propeller fan 5 and 6 respectively is mounted above each cooling element 3 and 4, said fans co-operating with each respective cooling element in such a Way that if for instance, the fan 5 produces an air current flowing in the direction of the arrow A, the other fan 6 produces an air current flowing in the direction of the arrow B and vice versa. For this purpose the blades of the two fans may either have the same screw direction or one of them have a left-hand thread and the other a right-hand thread. In the first case the fans rotate in opposite directions, in the second case in the same direction. The casings l and 2 are arranged beside, and built together with a passage 9 being closed by partition walls 1, 8, said passage having an electric heating element Ill. The passage E is extended above the partition wall 7 to an air inlet II and below the partition wall 8 to an air outlet 12.

Above and beneath the partition wall I the passage 9 is provided with a pair of flap valves l3a, I32) and Ma, Mb respectively, which may be brought to an open position by swinging in the directions illustrated by the arrows. Similar flap valves [5a, I51) and Ilia, [6b respectively, are fitted above and below the partition wall 8. All flap valves are set in their open or closed positions, as the case may be, by means of the suction or pressure action of the fans.

The cooling elements 3, 4 operate intermittently, the air which is to be cooled being alternately supplied to these two cooling elements. This intermittent operation is made possible through the two valve devices consisting of the flap valves [3a, [32), Ma, [4b and Isa, I522, lea, lBb respectively, which at the same time make possible heating of the cooling element which is not in operation, by the heating element l0 and contained in the passage 9 and in the casing of the cooling element which is not in operation, in order to melt ice which may have formed on said cooling element.

Should for instance, as illustrated in the drawing, continuously supplied air first be cooled by the cooling element 3, the fan 5 causes air to be drawn through the inlet II and through the valve I3a opened by suction of the fan I 5 into the casing I and then forces this air in the direction shown by the arrow A to the cooling element 3. After passing this cooling element, the cooled air is conveyed through the valve Ilia opened by the pressure action of the fan 5 and through the outlet l2 to the point where the cooled air is to be used. Simultaneously the air contained in the passage 9 and in the casing 2 is caused to circulate through said casing in the direction of the arrow B, causing the valve gas comprising v ing dryingfelements, a casing for each element, two reversible fans each co-operating with one Mb to be opened and allowing the air to circulate through the passage 9 in the direction of the arrow C and back again to the valve [5b of easing 2, said valve 15b being opened by the air pressure. The circulating air, heated by mean of the heating element I causes ice that may have formed on the cooling element 4 to melt.

During the described cycle the valves l3b, Ha, Ho and [6b are kept closed by means of the suction and pressure action respectively of the fans.

Should the air be cooled by means of the cool-'- ing element 3 and the cooling element 3 simultaneously be heated it is only necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the fans and 6.

The described and illustrated device may a so be used for drying air. In this case the cooling elements 3, 4 are exchanged for drying elements, for instance, moisture absorbers consisting of silica gel at the same time as a certain quantity of the circulated air is continuously discharged,

during the drying operation (for instance through the part ofthe passage located, between the valves I an and Nb) and replaced by 9, corresponding quantity of dry air, introduced for instance through the part of the passage locatedbetween the valves a ail (115D.

Having now particularly described the nature of my inventionand the m'anner of its operation 'whatI claim is:

1. An apparatus for the 'continuousdrying of twoe'qual intermittently operatof the drying elements, and two pairs of valve me'ans'operable by's'ai'd fans, one pair of-said valve 'means being mounted in front of and the other pair behind the two fans, as viewed in the direction in which the gas current to be treated flows into the apparatus, said valve means being adapted alternately to connect the two casings surrounding the elements with the gas current'to be treated in such a way/that the gas which is to be dried is caused by the fan to flow through'on'e'of the valve means fitted in front of the'two fa'ns, through one of the casings and said fan, and through the corresponding drying element, and through one of the valve'n 'eans fitted behind the two fans to the point where the dried'gas, is to be used, while another'gas,

for instance air, which maybe'heated'by means of an electric heating element common to both the drying elements, by means of the other fan is caused to flow in the opposite direction to the current of gas which is to be treated flows into the apparatus, said other gas flowing through the other casing, the other drying element and the other fan and through the other two valve means in order to dehydrate the last-mentioned drying element.

2. An aparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each valve device consists of at least two flap valves controlled by the suction or pressure action respectively of the fans.

3. An apparatus for the continuous treatment of a gaseous fluid comprising two equal intermittently operating dehumidifying elements, a casing for each element, two reversible fan means one disposed adjacent to each element and cooperating therewith so as to deliver a flow of fluid to be treated through the respective elements in opposite directions, a duct for the pas- 'sage'of fluid ther'eth'rough formed with an inlet andan outletfor theadmission and discharge of the fluid to be treated, heating means in said passage duct, a pair of valve means disposed adjacent to one side of said casings, and a second pair of valve means disposed adjacent to the other side of said casings, each of said pairs of valve means including -a pressure operated and a suction operated valve means, the said valve means connecting the "casings with the passage duct 'so as -'to establish a flow path for fluid through one of the casings inone direction and a second new p'ath for fluid inopposite direction through the other casing and the heatin means and vice versa in response to a reversal of the fanmeans.

GOSTA ERIK LARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The followingi'efer'en'ces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 51 1,21? schneider Dec. 19, 1893 2,o 9,413 ca'n'non u- Aug. 4, 1936 ;2, 14 1,715 l lilg er Dec. -27, 1938 2,225,706 Montgomery Deck-24, 1940 w 2,496,143 'Ba'ckstro'm s -Jan. 31/1950 

